On July 29th 2014, the Cambridge Public Schools’ Academic Challenge and Enrichment Program Manager, Paula Feynman, presented to the School Committee and Administration on the state of advanced learning in CPS. Slides from her presentation are here.

The presentation was covered by Jean Cummings in The Cambridge Day, in her article “Difficulties handling ‘advanced learners’ […]

On March 4th, 2014 the Cambridge Public School District administration and School Committee amended the Academic Challenge Policy to allow for two math pathways in the CPS middle schools. The CALA community has advocated for this change for two years, and supports this decision, as it better enables middle school math teachers to meet the […]

Here’s an excerpt of an essay by University of California at Davis Professor Norman Matloff, titled “Let’s Not Panic Over U.S. Students’ Global Rankings“:

“Even former Premier Wen Jiabao has complained about China’s rote-memory approach to education. Chen Lixin, an engineering professor at Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xian, has warned that China produces […]

This article in Education Week, titled “Parents Press for Attention to Programs for Gifted Students“, by Nora Fleming, examines efforts across the US to establish services and interventions for students with advanced learning needs. Here’s an excerpt:

“According to Donna Ford, a professor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education, minorities are also […]

In this NY Times Opinionator article titled “No Rich Child Left Behind“, Sean F. Reardon, professor of education and sociology at Stanford, explores how wealth has taken over race as the dominating factor in determining students’ success. The rich-poor gap in student achievement has widened significantly over the last 50 years. Here’s an excerpt:

This Washington Post article titled “Fairfax approves limited expansion of gifted-education program” by T. Rees Shapiro, covers the creation of new advanced academic centers in the Fairfax County public schools. Here’s an excerpt:

“The Fairfax County School Board has approved a modest expansion of the gifted-education program, creating more learning opportunities for the […]

How have education models for teaching students in need of advanced learning changed over the last three decades? Two education experts offer insight and data. They are: Joyce VanTassel-Baska, EdD, the Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Education and executive director of the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, where […]

RiShawn Biddle’s editorial board, who cover the reform of American public education in blog Dropout Nation, compiled three excerpts about the difficulty of trying to meet students’ advanced learning needs without exascerbating race- and class-driven acheivement gaps. The piece is called — The Power of Challenging Young Minds. Excerpt authors are: Sara Mead of Bellwether […]

I’m very happy to report that this week CPS Deputy Superintendent Carolyn Turk introduced the school district’s new Academic Challenge and Enrichment Support Program Manager. She is Paula Feynman, who has in recent years worked as a 6th grade science teacher in Sudbury, MA. She is very skilled in project-based learning and differentiating instruction, in […]

Below are answers to questions that CALA coordinator Freedom Baird submitted to the School Committee in mid-August, around the issue of advanced learning, especially as it will be addressed in the new Upper Schools. The answers were prepared by Deputy Superintendent Carolyn Turk, and reviewed by Superintendent Jeff Young.